USC Trojans History

USC has been one of the top universities in the country since its founding in 1880 as well as one of the most important institutions in all of Southern California. In addition to excellent educational and research facilities, USC is well known for its dominance in intercollegiate athletics. The Trojans compete in 21 varsity sports and have won the third most NCAA Division I Championships with 99, and a total of 121 national team championships. The Trojans are well known for their dominance on the football field, and deservedly so as they have won 11 national championships in the sport, but the most national championships have been won by the Trojans' men's tennis team which has won 20. USC is also dominant in basketball, baseball, softball, track and field, water polo, and more. Whatever your favorite sport, the Trojans likely have some of the best student athletes in the world competing in it for USC. Trojans fans have acquired a reputation as some of the most loyal and passionate fans in all of college athletics, and why shouldn't they be - the Trojans have given them plenty to cheer for over the years. Be sure to get your USC Trojans tickets from Stubhub early because tickets to all of their games sell out quickly.

USC Trojans Football

Football and USC practically go hand in hand and there are few college football programs in the country that can even come close to matching USC's history of success. Football has been a huge part of USC culture since the program was first established all the way back in 1888. In more than 125 years the Trojans have won 11 national championships and have had the most players drafted into the NFL of any school with more than 480. The passion surrounding USC Trojans football is greater than that of any other sport in the school and being at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on gameday is an experience like no other. If you are looking for big time NCAA football action, USC is the place to be. The Trojans annually face off against some of the best teams in the country when they battle their way through the PAC 12 including UCLA, Stanford, and Oregon. Seven former Trojans have won the Heisman Trophy: Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Charles White, Mike Garrett, O.J. Simpson, and Marcus Allen. When it comes to college football excellence, USC has a record that is unbeatable.

USC Trojans Basketball

While football is definitely king at USC, the Trojans' basketball team is nothing to be scoffed at. The Trojans have been absent from the NCAA Tournament since 2011 but things are definitely on the up swing for the basketball program, especially after the acquisition of head coach Andy Enfield who proved his coaching prowess while at Florida Gulf Coast who he guided to unheard of success in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The Trojans have made it to two Final Fours in their history, back in 1940 and 1954, along with 16 NCAA Tournaments. Several former Trojans have gone on to success in professional basketball including Paul Westphal, Brian Scalabrine, Harold Miner, Taj Gibson, O.J. Mayo, DeMar DeRozan, and Tex Winter who invented the triangle offense. The Trojans are poised to make a run at the PAC 12 title and take on teams like Arizona, Stanford, UCLA, and Oregon on their way to a return to the NCAA Tournament.

USC Trojans Baseball

Sure, the football team gets all of the headlines, but USC baseball has arguably been more successful. In fact the program has brought home 12 national titles compared to the football team's 11. The cardinal and gold have had a baseball team cine 1888 and have experienced unbridled success on the diamond. Legendary coach Rod Dedeaux coached the Trojans from 1942 through 1986 and led the program to 11 of its 12 national championships, five of which were won back to back from 1970 through 1974. Several former Trojans have gone on to greatness in the Major Leagues including Fred Lynn, Mark McGwire, Barry Zito, and Mark Prior. Legendary slugger Mark McGwire holds the school record for most home runs in a season with 32 which also led the entire NCAA in 1984. The Trojans last NCAA championship came in 1998 but the roster is once again laden with talent and USC could make a return to the College World Series in 2015.

Trivia

In addition to all of the success USC Trojans have had in college athletics, the school also has an unrivaled history when tit comes to producing Olympic athletes. In the 100 years between 1904 and 2004 415 former Trojans participated in the Olympics, more than any other school in the world. During that time former Trojans won 122 gold medals, with at least one every Summer Olympics since 1912. In fact, when being compared to other nations, only seven countries have won more gold medals than all of the former Trojans combined. Rebecca Soni set a world record in the 200m breaststroke in the 2008 Olympics while she was still a student at USC.